Boqueria 53 W. 19th St. (5th & 6th Aves.)
Flatiron
212.255.4160
Boqueria:
Named after Barcelona’s boisterous marketplace, Boqueria is a hybrid of Catalan cuisine and Manhattan surroundings. Suba owner Yann de Rochefort transformed the former L’Acajou into a sleek marble tapas bar with tables alongside tan-tiled walls in the dining room, including one long communal table in the center for large parties. An over-30 yuppie crowd invades the bar after work to order Lilliputian-sized tapas like Pintxos Morunos (lamb marinated in lemon and cumin) and Tortilla Espanola (Spanish onion and potato omelet) with glasses of Spanish wine ($7+). While Boqueria offers a full bar, do yourself a favor and try a pitcher of the amazing sangria in red, white, cava, rose, and, yes folks, beer flavors ($8-$10 a glass, $32 a pitcher). It’s the one thing that really does have the ability to transport you to Spain in this trendy, pricey eatery.
